New Technology Offers Reliable Hybrid Power to Remote Locations

Most
RV owners know what it’s like to need power in remote locations, where
plugging in isn’t possible. For this reason, many RVers have generators
on-board. For a smaller section of off-grid adventurists, as well as
oil and gas companies, electric and telecommunication utilities, remote
power access is necessary on a much more permanent basis.

Solar power is a promising new technology that can offer remote power cleanly and rid the world of dirty, noisy and cumbersome gasoline or diesel generators. However, says Global Thermoelectric,
solar power can be unreliable. Especially in climates above 40 degrees
latitude, where average solar radiation is relatively low. Extended bad
weather and long nights put too much of a drain on remote solar system
batteries.

So, Global Thermoelectric, aptly based in Calgary, Alberta, is bringing the best of both worlds together with the GlobalSolarHybrid
system. It is first and foremost a solar power generator, but should
nights get long and the days cloudy, the Thermoelectric Generator (TEG)
will kick on to ensure continuous power. The TEG runs on either natural
gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The
breakthrough offers the unique advantage of green power and
reliability, a very big deal for those working or living in remote
areas. Obvious beneficiaries of the technology would be the military,
security, energy and scientific fields. TEG uses very little fuel and
emits a very small amount of greenhouse gas emissions relative to most remote electric generators that run on gasoline or diesel.

Of
course, there’s no arguing against the prospect that a 1000-percent
solar power system would (and hopefully will) be ideal, but conversion
efficiency and battery technology are holding that prospect back right
now. And there’s no arguing against the usefulness of GlobalSolarHybrid
in northern regions that experience solar night or long winters.